Monday, March 25, 2013

I am so excited to show you this makeover that I created using a tired and dated armoire that has been hanging out in my stash and my brand spanking new Cutting Edge Stencil! When Cutting Edge Stencil gave me a chance to pick any stencil I wanted from their huge selection of stencils, I must say… I took a few DAYS! But I finally decided on the Fleur Craft Stencil by Kathy Peterson.

Okay, on to the before…

Here is a nice but outdated small armoire that is looking for some pizzazz. I’d been saving it to make over for my daughter’s room for quite a while. I custom mixed some chalk paint to get the perfect light aqua paint color for my stenciling. Turns out, I actually made what looks like Annie Sloan’s Provence without realizing it. I don’t own that color, so now I know how to make it :) I must be a genius!

I took the cabinet doors off to lay them flat and so that I could measure the stencil placement. The Cutting Edge Stencil and the brushes that came with it were very easy to work with. I have stenciled before, so I felt sure I knew what to do, but I went to their website and watched a couple of the how-to videos just in case. Their projects are so inspiring!I first painted my entire armoire with Annie Sloan’s Old White. Then I took the doors off and measured and taped the stencil on with blue painters tape. I used my custom colored chalk paint to stencil, and it went great! Chalk paint is very forgiving. If I found I was too heavy handed, I was able to wipe off the excess very easily. I didn’t worry too much about imperfections either, because I knew that I would be sanding down my stenciled area after I finished. Once I finished the doors and reattached them to the armoire, I stood back and thought about it… It needed just a little something else…

(Just a little too plain)

So I took out the middle drawer and turned my stencil design sideways. I stenciled just one design around each glass drawer pull.

Perfect! It ties the whole piece together without being overdone.

After my stenciling dried, I lightly sanded my design with 220 grit sandpaper to give it a slightly worn and not-so-crisp look. I then sanded the edges of the armoire around the doors, drawers, and edges – just because I like that look. I then sealed it all with a coat of Annie Sloan’s clear wax.At first when I was stenciling the doors, I showed my 7 year old daughter and said that I was doing this for her. She said “Umm.. I wanted lavender” and walked away. Ummm… mom’s not into lavender, and there is not one lavender thing in her room. Girls! So, I thought I ‘d be selling this piece in my booth. But after I got the shiny new glass knobs on and the piece put together, she saw it and said “can I have it; can I have it?”. Ahhh.. much better. It will go into her room and hold all of her American Girl dolls and their clothes and accessories. Now I get to vacuum the floor, and she gets a special new piece painted just for her and the dolls. Win. Win.Thanks Cutting Edge Stencils!So, do you have a tired piece of furniture that needs some reviving? How about some curtains that need color? Would an accent wall make a huge difference in your room? Or a rug in need of a makeover? Plain pillows need pizzazz? There are so many projects to be done with stencils. And now you have a chance to win the stencil of your choice. You can pick any stencil worth up to $75 from the Cutting Edge Stencils website if you are the winner of my giveaway.

And it gets even better! I am one of 7 blogs doing 7 Cutting Edge Giveaways in 7 days. Yes, you can enter all 7! Please stop by the other 6 blogs listed below for more chances to win. ~LUCKY NUMBER 7!~

Good Luck!

Use this easy Rafflecopter form to enter to win:

**Our first winner never responded, so a new winner was chosen. Congrats to Jennifer L. M.**

Monday, March 18, 2013

This weekend was St Patrick’s Day. Savannah has one of the biggest St Patrick’s Day parades in the country. With the parade comes thousands of tourists. It’s fun and festive, but it’s very very busy.

image via Savannah Riverfront on FB

So our family decided to take a trip out of town to Charlotte, NC. We took the kids to the U.S. National Whitewater Center and the Discovery Place Science Museum. We all had a blast! As with every trip we take out of town, I quickly googled Annie Sloan stockists in the Charlotte area. Fortunately I found Melinda Shrom from Artisan by Design. I visited her at the Blacklion location. First let me say, I LOVED that store! It was like a giant Hobby Lobby, Garden Ridge, Homegoods, Thrift market, hip antique store all rolled into one! So much fun!

Melinda was great! I had called ahead and my paint was already put aside for me on the “hold table”. I went to her booth, and she was eager to meet me. Lil’ ole me? Yes! We had some great discussion about paint colors and textures and how much we both LOVE Annie Sloan Chalk paint! I watched and listened as one of her repeat customers came in and discussed her wall that she had painted in Arles and asked Melinda’s opinion on what color paint and wax to add for more depth. Melinda is a real pro, and gave the lady several options, but not so many that she was overwhelmed. In the end, she even asked my opinion as the tie breaker :) I was honored. We all agreed and the customer practically skipped away happy! Melinda told me about the awesome and innovative paint classes that she holds at the Blacklion, and then she showed me the paint studio in the back. Boy, do I wish I could take one of her classes. If only I lived closer…

Here is a picture of the paint swatches in her paint booth. Very helpful when you see the paint out of the can and side by side on a board. Cute design too! ( sorry for the cell phone picture blur)

Annie Sloan color board by Artisan by Design

And here is the paint color wall in the studio where the paint classes are held. LOVE this idea! Look at all of those color variations from each color of paint! So versatile!

Annie Sloan color wall by Artisan by Design

I had an incredible experience with Melinda, and my love for Annie Sloan Chalk paint has been ignited all the more. Can’t wait to get started on my next piece using my very favorite paint!This is what I brought home with me, and this dresser drawer and its friends are next for the Annie Sloan treatment…

Now, I said this store was incredible. So here are a few pictures of the treasures I would have liked to take home.This one greeted me right at the front door! And it had a matching “friend” too :) I’m digging that fabric and those curvy lines!

And Hippity Hoppity Easter is definitely on its way at this store! I saw moss covered bunnies, Burlap bunnies and carrots. Bunnies with wheelbarrows. Crackle finished ceramic bunnies. Furry yellow chicks, and every other kind of fabulous Easter décor I could have possibly imagined and drooled over…

Easter Display at Blacklion

Okay, I’m on board with most of America in my love for burlap! So when I happened up on this booth which I nicknamed “Burlap Paradise”, I knew I had to buy this great ruffled burlap table runner! See the one in the top of the photo? It is mine. End of discussion….

I’m kind of on an animal and bird kick right now. These peacock pictures were amazing in person. But see those yellow tags? Someone else loved them too…

How about this wonderful horse painting. Swoon… Loved it!

And lastly I loved this rustic farmhouse looking booth with these awesome letters.

Thank you for taking this virtual shopping trip with me. I thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful store and my visit with Melinda. I will be back as soon as I can find a reason to go to Charlotte, NC again.

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Yes! I said SPRAY PAINTED! Normally, my rule of thumb is that I don’t like to spray paint anything except wicker or metal. But I found these wonderful rattan twin headboards at a local thrift store and knew they needed some fresh color for Spring.

There are so many nooks and crannies in these headboards, that I just couldn’t imagine spending a ton of time painting these with a brush. Plus, I wanted them a little *shiny*. So, I went with my go-to spray paint Rustoleum x2. I used “Leafy Green” for a fresh Spring look. Once they were dry, I sealed them with a spray on clear coat for extra durability.

I think these headboards are sooo much happier now! Here’s hoping they find their way to a beach house nearby soon….Happy Spring…